WHAT’S UP DOC? Hurricane Irma

Tuesday

Sep 12, 2017 at 4:35 PMSep 15, 2017 at 9:56 AM

By Dr. Jeff Hersh/Daily News Correspondent

She has been playing soccer since she could walk; actually, since she could crawl. After so many years of hours per day of hard work and dedication she finally takes the field as captain of the team for the first game of the season. Tied zero to zero with 18 minutes left in the game, she bends it like Beckham from 23 yards out into the upper right corner of the goal, inches past the outstretched hand of the goalie. Her team is elated, and the celebration by her teammates is unrestrained.

But daddy only knows about it from a text and pictures. He is 1,200 miles away sheltering in place as Hurricane Irma begins to bring her thoughtless destruction to those who dare to get in her way. It is not just disaster responders who make sacrifices, but also their friends, family and loved ones who support them.

The northbound lanes of Interstate 75 are full of people making a smart decision and getting out of Irma's way. But we are among those driving south, intentionally heading into the oncoming storm.

We are the 36 members of the Boston Strong MA1 Disaster Medical Assist Team, so we need to be boots on the ground when and where we are needed. Within our team we have a broad spectrum of medical professionals including doctors, nurses, EMTs, respiratory therapists, pharmacists and mental health workers, as well as other staff with expertise in communications, security and safety.Our goal is to provide excellent medical care, even in austere conditions.This is enabled by the cache of supplies that are deployed for us from the National Disaster Medical System, and by working closely with local, state, federal and nongovernment organizations.

MA1 is one of the response teams that has been activated as part of the Health and Human Service’s NDMS medical response for Hurricane Irma.The purpose of NDMS is to support state, local, tribal and territorial authorities in response to medical needs that may arise from a disaster. NDMS also supports the military and Veterans Health Administration health care systems in caring for combat casualties if the need for medical care exceeds their capacity.

NDMS is made up of civilian disaster-response trained people who are intermittent federal employees; that is, we are called up to serve when the need arises and our skills are required.The NDMS has a 30-year history and has participated in over 300 deployments in response to disasters domestically (including hurricanes, floods, as medical readiness in case of a disaster at a major planned event such as the Presidential inauguration, and for any other disaster that has medical care needs), and as representatives of the U.S. in international responses (for example, in response to the earthquake in 2010 in Haiti).

There are others driving southbound as well. We see many, many electric power repair trucks, getting ready to do their essential work after Irma predictably turns the lights off. We see tree removal teams, trucks with supplies, first responders, Red Cross volunteers, and so many others going south to weather the storm so they are there when they are needed.

It is humbling to be among those driving south. It is empowering to have the support we need to enable us to do what we will eventually be called upon to do. But for now all we can do is hope Irma shows some mercy.

9/14/17 Update

Irma has passed, and left huge destruction in her wake, with some areas hit harder than others. We were sent into one of the hardest hit areas on the Florida Keys. No electricity, no water, no sewage and no cell coverage (hence why this update is delayed). We have opened a field emergency room to treat the medical issues that have occurred, including acute issues, trauma and flare up of chronic diseases (many because of the austere conditions). Seeing patients is what we do, and being able to help people, despite the incredibly long days and the challenging environment, is actually very uplifting for us as a team. This is why we do what we do. The "thank you’s" from the patients and their families are very reinforcing as well; OK, the occasional heartfelt hugs are pretty nice, too.